From codes to bombs, The Imitation Game (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023) respectively brought the colourful yet tragic lives of two brilliant men to life. The Imitation Game follows the contributions of British mathematician Alan Turing (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch), otherwise regarded as the father of theoretical computer science, who decrypted the German Enigma code during World War II at Bletchley Park. Oppenheimer displays the legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (portrayed by Cillian Murphy), an American theoretical physicist who directed the Manhattan Project during World War II, and widely considered as the father of the atomic bomb.

The Imitation Game: Hidden Triumphs

“Sometimes, it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one imagines.” – The Imitation Game (2014)

The Imitation Game’s plot follows Alan Turing’s life story, which is nothing of the ordinary. On one hand, it celebrates the achievements of the stellar group of British talents led by Alan Turing as they successfully cracked Nazi Germany’s Enigma code by inventing an extraordinary machine, shortening the war by an estimated 2 years’ length and saving countless lives. On the other hand, it examines the tragic circumstances faced by Alan Turing, who later faces the cruel indignities of “chemical castration” for engaging in homosexual activity (which was illegal in England at the time), causing him to commit suicide in 1954. It wasn’t until 2013 that Turing was granted a posthumous royal pardon by Queen Elizabeth II for his “gross indecency” offences, a year before The Imitation Game was released.

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Under the skilful direction of Morten Tyldum, the various storylines of the film were meticulously woven together and came to light in the most impressive way imaginable. Alongside the well-known historical story of Alan Turing decoding Enigma, Tyldum directs a non-linear framing story with a sub-plot to bring audiences a step closer to Alan Turing’s personal life. Through flashbacks, Tyldum brings out the undisclosed part of Turing that dates back to his childhood – his homosexuality. This is referenced at various points throughout the film, eventually becoming his hamartia. What adds to the complexity of the film is the showcase of the duality of Turing – the rest of the framing story. Decrypting Enigma and winning the war was only half of Turing’s life story. It was always who Turing was, how Turing lived his life, what Alan Turing was forced to become that grasped the hearts of the audience. We’ve always known him as a war hero, but he was also socially awkward and at times presumptuous, while also choosing to be tender and sentimental for those he cared for. And then, the knife that cuts through the audiences’ hearts – our hero’s cruel downfall. A complete portrayal of Alan Turing’s life allows audiences to develop empathy for him as the film progresses, rendering a well-calculated emotional pace that left audiences in awe at the end.

This was of course, supported by the shining performances of the film’s cast, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch, the British actor who rose to international fame portraying Sherlock Holmes in 2010. Nowadays, Cumberbatch may be known as one of the most “ubiquitously typecast” actors for directors seeking an arrogant, eccentric genius that sheds away from average mundane society. And this may have well been reinforced by his outstanding performance as Alan Turing. Delivering a compellingly expressive performance, Cumberbatch was able to accurately convey the nerdy personality, cerebral complexities and internal struggles of Turing. Cumberbatch, in modern social terms, ate and left no crumbs.

Oppenheimer: Ethical Dilemmas

“Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.” – J. Robert Oppenheimer, 1945

Oppenheimer introduces audiences to the dramatic life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. From his academic pursuits in London, to his teaching of quantum mechanics at UC Berkeley in America, then to the influence of his brother and love interest who pull him into the world of the Communist Party, onto the crux of the film – his meeting with General Leslie Groves, which wins him leadership over the Manhattan Project, where he works on the atomic bomb. Arguments between scientists, secretive government policies, the creation of the atomic bomb – all led towards Oppenheimer’s conflicting moral dilemmas and eventual guilt for the “destroyer of worlds” he became upon realising the destructive impacts of the Atomic bomb on the Japanese. As Oppenheimer became a pacifist, he was put at odds with Lewis Strauss (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.) who is trying to get a position as the US Secretary of Commerce. Oppenheimer was later set up by Strauss and accused of having long-term associations with the Communist Party. Oppenheimer’s security clearance was suspended by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1953. Although Oppenheimer’s name was cleared in 1954 and given the Enrico Fermi Award near the end of his life, the film ends with Oppenheimer’s fear and guilt that his work in nuclear weapons forever changed and doomed the society.

Photo by Drake411 on Wikimedia Commons

The film received critical acclaim for its thought-provoking portrayal of the ethical dilemmas surrounding the Manhattan Project led by Oppenheimer that opened mankind to a new era of nuclear weapons. Yet, with little action and a lot of dialogue spamming its lengthy 3-hour runtime, one cannot be blamed to be surprised at the worldwide success of the film. So what made Oppenheimer so spectacular? 

Notable features of the film were its cinematography and editing. The film starts at Oppenheimer’s trial and it keeps moving forward in time while continuously jumping back into the past where Oppenheimer’s life story is slowly unravelled. Director Christopher Nolan accomplishes this by switching from colour to black and white scenes, then back again. Nolan further adopts IMAX 70 mm film for shooting Oppenheimer, even for the black and white scenes, bringing an incredible depth of detail to the film. The details of the film become startlingly clear from start to finish, especially for the huge close-up scenes, where Nolan displays the characters’ facial expressions in intimate detail as they grapple with their self-identities, the opinions of others, and the actions they have committed and the consequences they have left behind. Nolan also, as budget-consuming as it may be, had the film’s practical effects produced through real-life action, free of CGI. The explosions and shockwaves that astounded theatres and tore down J. Robert Oppenheimer’s entire world following those 10 seconds of silence as he counted down to the launch of the atomic bomb were all created by an effects team in real-time. The creativity Nolan pours into the way the sets seem to quake at moments of tension also add to the bomb’s impact as felt by audiences.

Equally commendable were the actors’ performances and the use of sound and music. Both Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. received their well-deserved Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role respectively. Murphy was approached by Nolan directly with an offer to play Oppenheimer, and Murphy did not disappoint, proving himself to be the perfect embodiment of Oppenheimer with his sense of visible solitude and emotional incarceration as he embraced the inner turmoil faced by the historical physicist. Meanwhile, Downey proved his versatility by playing not his conventional hero but instead presenting audiences with a self-absorbed and ambitious villain. The next to be commended would be musical composer Ludwig Göransson, whose masterful score played an indispensable role in the film’s success. With little physical action, Oppenheimer delivers the horrors of war through not what we see but what we hear. 

There is no point in suggesting which film was better, as both offer insights into the power and consequences of human evolution, societal values, political conflicts and scientific ambition. It is however worth noting how similar these two films are. Both lead characters are, as repeatedly mentioned, eccentric yet brilliant figures who face certain difficulties working with others, but managed to conquer their personal flaws and succeed in their contributions to the Allies’ victory in World War II. At the same time, they suffer as a result of restrictions imposed on them by society, with Turing eventually killed and Oppenheimer tried in court. Both films are remarkable in their own ways, and I highly encourage everyone to watch them back-to-back for a more nuanced understanding of the events that occurred during World War II.